Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By ZACHARY MARANO
Hurley — Iron County Highway Department head Mike Swartz gave the highway committee an update on their projects for the year at their monthly meeting on Tuesday.
Swartz said that they finished repaving part of U.S. 51 with a mill and overlay from Iron Street in Hurley to County Road C. He said that they went back and resealed cracks on County Road G from Owl Lake Road to the intersection with County Road H and from there, to Cedar Lake Road. They also replaced some culverts on is County Road C from U.S. 51 to the state of Michigan. Swartz also said that they completed most of the deck replacement on the bridge over the Montreal River.
The highway department started milling and repaving earlier on Tuesday, Swartz said. He said they will be repaving several locations on County Road H, County Road J and U.S. 51 in Mercer. He also said that they will start mowing the grass on the side of the roads next week.
Swartz said that the highway department finished cutting down trees at a right of way on County Road G in Mercer. However, an accident occurred where a tree fell on an excavator causing some damage to the construction equipment. Swartz described the damage as “cosmetic” because it did not prevent the excavator from working, but he said they need to replace its cab cover, the light bar and an exhaust cover.
The work at the right of way is part of a reconstruction of County Road G from Batte to Owl Lake roads in Mercer. Swartz said that they have already replaced a couple of culverts and awarded a blacktopping contract to Pitlik and Wick. He said they begin paving in early- to mid-September.
Swartz said that the Iron County Sheriff Department asked that they post a 35-mph speed limit sign in an unmarked area near the intersection of County Road A and “22,” which the committee approved.
The committee also approved the purchase of a Mack truck. Swartz said that the original bid for the truck came at around $120,853 plus an extended warranty of $14,960, for a total of $135,813. However, some surcharges increased the invoice to $131,253, for a total of $146,213.
The committee approved the purchase of the Mack truck at their previous meeting in May, but because last meeting’s bid did not include surcharges, Swartz said they did not have to accept the bid at Tuesday’s meeting. The committee seemed displeased with the cost increase but approved the purchase, as they said they needed the truck and could not negotiate a better price when the vendor had another buyer lined up. However, they asked the vendor to see the surcharge.
